TRULY RAREST OF THE RARE 1/25 MUSCLE CAR KITS OF ALL TIME

[Mark]

Just since Photobucket seems to be working again, here's the '64 Cutlass. Got this from eBay six or seven years ago. The bubble hood was painted and a couple of the exotic engine parts were missing, but everything else was there, unpainted and unglued. Well worth the $70 or so I paid for it.

I've got two unbuilt convertible kits; one I got from my older brother in '73 or '74.  He got it from his wife's uncle who had it sitting in his closet since '64, so I know pretty much where it has been all these years.  I can't remember where I got the other one.  I pieced together a hardtop from a partial kit found on eBay, and another kit that apparently got cannibalized for a slot car back in the day.  The body in the partial kit was painted, but none of the parts in either kit were ever assembled.  I did have to buy a window unit from one of those eBay "break up a kit and sell the parts" vendors, but even overpaying for that piece I haven't got nearly as much in it as I would have if I'd found a complete one. 

[Pete J.]

Just a reminder what Ace wants here--rare KITS, not rare subject matter.

To illustrate, it's not difficult these days to get together a model of just about any kind of '67-'69 Camaro one can dream up, using common AMT and Revell kits. Original unbuilt annual '67-'69 Camaros by AMT and MPC are very rare, though.

Ok, this is the mustang kit I am talking about.  I have an automatic search on eBay and it comes up maybe once a year and it almost always goes for near $100.  Fastbacks are a dime a dozen but the coupe, now that is a rare horse. 

[vamach1]

Ok, this is the mustang kit I am talking about.  I have an automatic search on eBay and it comes up maybe once a year and it almost always goes for near $100.  Fastbacks are a dime a dozen but the coupe, now that is a rare horse. 

I bought the 69 Mustang kit years ago and built it as a convertible.

[Snake45]

Speaking of '69 Mustangs, the AMT Mach 1 fastback is also rare these days. Sad because it's the ONLY kit of this car with an accurate body.

[Crazy Ed]

i got one at NNL East this past weekend, complete/unbuilt

Do you still have 2 arms and 2 Legs?

[AC Norton]

Speaking of '69 Mustangs, the AMT Mach 1 fastback is also rare these days. Sad because it's the ONLY kit of this car with an accurate body.

so very true, and one of my favorite  kits of all time.....the Ace...

[tbill]

Do you still have 2 arms and 2 Legs?

was not as bad as you would think

[Snake45]

so very true, and one of my favorite  kits of all time.....the Ace...

Would you believe I have an unbuilt MIB? Well not 100% mint...back in the day I started to cut out the doors and got the left one about 80% out. I have to figure out how to fix that damage, and then it's MIB.

[Crazy Ed]

was not as bad as you would think

Well Done Tim.

[vamach1]

Here it is built.  I still have the "hardtop" part.

Edited April 19, 2016 by vamach1
typo

[Pete J.]

I bought the 69 Mustang kit years ago and built it as a convertible.

Here it is built.  I still had the "hardtop."

I don't suppose you would be interested in parting with the top would you?

[AC Norton]

Would you believe I have an unbuilt MIB? Well not 100% mint...back in the day I started to cut out the doors and got the left one about 80% out. I have to figure out how to fix that damage, and then it's MIB.

that's one neat kit, got it for xmas 68 with many others, and have had a couple over the years. in todays world, the newbies wouldn't give it a second look, all wanting complicated, 100 plus parts kits. well, not this guy, I wish they were common, like they were still in the 80s and 90s, I'd buy 3 or 4 of them. your lucky to have one, Richard.........the Ace.........

[vamach1]

I'll look for it.  I know I was working on a Shelby DeMexico out of the AMT 69 Mach1 but I think the roof for it cam from the Revell funny car kit.

[StevenGuthmiller]

Instead of just listing them, maybe we should see them.

How about it?

Anybody have the intestinal fortitude to destroy the future value of one of these "pristine" kits that Ace originally spoke of & build it?

I've built one & have a few others in the wings waiting, but none of them would most likely be considered "muscle cars".

 

Steve

[disabled modeler]

Ill try to toss in my thoughts on rare ones.

Steve...I couldn't get myself to modify any old kit or model if it can be restored let alone a mint kit.

here is my thoughts...

Johan 68 Rebel

MPC 68/69 Coronets 

MPC 70/71 Cyclones

MPC 69-72 Grand Prix

69 Impala

AMT 66 Buick Skylark GS

Johan 70 GTX/Roadrunner

67-69 Bonnevilles

AMT race team sets

MPC 75 Firebird

 

[Snake45]

that's one neat kit, got it for xmas 68 with many others, and have had a couple over the years. in todays world, the newbies wouldn't give it a second look, all wanting complicated, 100 plus parts kits. well, not this guy, I wish they were common, like they were still in the 80s and 90s, I'd buy 3 or 4 of them. your lucky to have one, Richard.........the Ace.........

I have a second one, too (AMT '69 Mach I). Glue bomb bought off eBay a few years back. "Glue bomb" doesn't begin to describe it. It has the worst glass I've ever seen--heavily frosted by liquid cement or some kind of solvent--and it is in there SOLID. I've gotten pretty good at prying old glass out, but the started destroying the A-frames on this one so backed off on that. I'm going to try polishing out the glass in place (I think there's about a 75% chance I can do it) and if that doesn't work, I guess I'll have to try to graft on the entire roof section from a Revell '69 Mach I or Shelby.

There's other issues with the thing, too. Original builder glued the tail lights on the hood as some sort of customizing element. Again, I THINK I can get them off with a razor blade saw.

It came with the original box and nearly all the original kit pieces, including both stock and custom grilles. (Modelhaus offers nothing for this kit.)

Worse comes to worst, I can always cut off some portion of the nose of the hot mess and graft it onto a common Revell '69 Mach I. I'm determined to make SOMETHING out of my $25 investment.

[Snake45]

Instead of just listing them, maybe we should see them.

How about it?

Anybody have the intestinal fortitude to destroy the future value of one of these "pristine" kits that Ace originally spoke of & build it?

I've built one & have a few others in the wings waiting, but none of them would most likely be considered "muscle cars".

 

Steve

Well, lessee, I have a MIB '68 Cougar I'm actually planning to build. Also have a mostly MIB AMT '69 Impala (I seem to recall stealing a couple engine parts from it decades ago) that will get built someday. Also an AMT '69 Ford Galaxie I painted years ago and then got no further. Also a JoHan '66 Marlin still in the box with just the body painted.

Have an almost MIB MPC '68 Corvette. I cut the top panels out and was planning to T-top it back in the day. Unfortunately, over the years, the windshield posts got squashed down and I don't think they can be brought back. I bought a glue bomb off eBay so have a good replacement body, and I think I can use the chopped windshield and the kit's custom parts to get a second complete custom car out of the whole assemblage.

Have several complete MIB AMT '63-'67 Sting Rays, at least one of which I'm planning to build, but that wouldn't be too exciting to show WIP because they're all pretty much the same as the much-reissued '63 kits.

I do, however, have several "survivors" from back in the day for which I still have the box and all the original kit parts, and which I've stripped and plan to rebuild. Right off the top of my head, AMT '64 GTO, AMT '69 Camaro, MPC '68 Camaro, AMT '69 El Camino, AMT '66 Riviera, maybe a couple others.

[StevenGuthmiller]

Ill try to toss in my thoughts on rare ones.

Steve...I couldn't get myself to modify any old kit or model if it can be restored let alone a mint kit.

here is my thoughts...

Johan 68 Rebel

MPC 68/69 Coronets 

MPC 70/71 Cyclones

MPC 69-72 Grand Prix

69 Impala

AMT 66 Buick Skylark GS

Johan 70 GTX/Roadrunner

67-69 Bonnevilles

AMT race team sets

MPC 75 Firebird

 

I didn't necessarily suggest "modifying" anything Mark.

I'm just curious as to whether or not anyone who has an old MIB kit has actually built it.

I bought this '61 Fury kit a few years ago.

It was perfect in every way.

The only thing I did to it was have the chrome parts re-plated & add a set of after market tires.

I didn't even paint it.

Just polished out the plastic.

Not a muscle car by any stretch, but it was a very rare MIB kit.

 

Steve

 

[jas1957]

I would also have to vote for the AMT 1969 El Camino Soapbox Derby kit. The ONLY one I have ever seen is the one I bought in 1970.  Just about every other kit mentioned I have at least seen at one time or another but the El Camino, nada.

[High octane]

I would also have to vote for the AMT 1969 El Camino Soapbox Derby kit. The ONLY one I have ever seen is the one I bought in 1970.  Just about every other kit mentioned I have at least seen at one time or another but the El Camino, nada.

Here's the '69 El Camino that I had built in the early 80's and it did come with the Soapbox Derby car as well. I don't have a clue as to what happened to the derby car.

[AC Norton]

I have a second one, too (AMT '69 Mach I). Glue bomb bought off eBay a few years back. "Glue bomb" doesn't begin to describe it. It has the worst glass I've ever seen--heavily frosted by liquid cement or some kind of solvent--and it is in there SOLID. I've gotten pretty good at prying old glass out, but the started destroying the A-frames on this one so backed off on that. I'm going to try polishing out the glass in place (I think there's about a 75% chance I can do it) and if that doesn't work, I guess I'll have to try to graft on the entire roof section from a Revell '69 Mach I or Shelby.

There's other issues with the thing, too. Original builder glued the tail lights on the hood as some sort of customizing element. Again, I THINK I can get them off with a razor blade saw.

It came with the original box and nearly all the original kit pieces, including both stock and custom grilles. (Modelhaus offers nothing for this kit.)

Worse comes to worst, I can always cut off some portion of the nose of the hot mess and graft it onto a common Revell '69 Mach I. I'm determined to make SOMETHING out of my $25 investment.

your way too ambitious for me, Richard,,,,i'll wait and grab one mib when it comes up......the cut, hack, chop, and repair aspect is something I enjoy watching others do....lol.........these days even cracking the cello open on a kit is a big event for me...lol.......the Ace.....

[fairlane1320]

Ok, this is the mustang kit I am talking about.  I have an automatic search on eBay and it comes up maybe once a year and it almost always goes for near $100.  Fastbacks are a dime a dozen but the coupe, now that is a rare horse. 

I bought this one off ebay not long along, complete and it wasn't anywhere near $100.

[gtx6970]

Instead of just listing them, maybe we should see them.

How about it?

Anybody have the intestinal fortitude to destroy the future value of one of these "pristine" kits that Ace originally spoke of & build it?

I've built one & have a few others in the wings waiting, but none of them would most likely be considered "muscle cars".

 

Steve

i will.

I have both a 1959 and 1960 Edsel convertibles....both are near perfect mint in box examples. I didn't buy them for future collector value. I bought them to build.

[Daddyfink]

I have the MPC 67 Firebird and the MPC 1966 Monaco. They are a bit rare. 

[Snake45]

I have quite a few of the models listed so far, maybe half, maybe even more. But most aren't unbuilt kits, they're either "survivors" I built as a teenager, or restorable glue bombs I've rescued from swap meets, flea markets and eBay over the years....